Nuclear Energy Fails at Energy Equity

Energy Equity is Necessary

The price of electricity provided by utilities will only continue to increase in the future.  Low, and even moderate, income households spend a significantly higher portion of their income on their electric bills than those with higher incomes. These same households lack the means to invest in energy efficiency/conservation measures and solar that will reduce their energy bills.  Many are renters and must rely on landlords who are unwilling to provide energy efficient housing.  Tying these lower income households to expensive nuclear energy will only make life worse for these individuals and families.

Additionally, nuclear energy proponents are now promoting their new reactors as the answer to inequities in developing and undeveloped countries.  Tying a country’s poor population to a nuclear power plant is not the answer, it will only benefit the plant owners and the well-off.

 A Better Way to Energy Equity

The best way to assure energy equity is through energy efficiency and renewable energy.  Taxpayers’ money spent on government subsidies to nuclear energy can instead be much better spent on measures that will reduce the financial burden on those who can least afford it.

A recent study by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy estimated that a program of deep energy efficiency retrofits for homes can out energy use by 58 to 79 percent and carbon emissions by 32 to 56 percent depending on the homes’ location.  These measures have the added benefits to residents of improving indoor air quality and reducing noise.  Existing multi-family and small commercial building are also candidates for deep retrofits that will benefit low- and moderate-income people as well as small business owners who struggle with paying energy bills.  The next step is to make sure those homes and multi-family buildings have access to renewable energy.  With energy efficiency adding local energy supplied by renewables like rooftop solar and community solar can add price stablity for all consumers.

An important additional benefit is the creation of jobs in the local community installing and maintaining these less expensive energy sources.  Studies have shown that energy efficiency programs along with local energy produce significant number of jobs in local economies.  While nuclear energy will create jobs, once operating about 100, those jobs will be not be in the communities and will be most highly skilled.